Sensing mechanism for tabulating machines



I my RN 1553;: 4

Dec. 21, 1937. L. F. WILKINSON SENSING MECHANISM FOR TABU LATING MACHINES Filed July 15, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l lNVF/YTO/Z L.EWILIYINSON Dec. 21, 1937. 4 L F, MLKW ON 2,102,932

SENSING MECHANISM FOR TABULATING MACHINES Filed July 15, 1937 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .uvvzwrme 4.51714. m/vso/v l7 TTOlF/VE' Y 1937- L F. WILKINSON 2,

SENSING MECHANISM FOR TABULATING MACHINES Filed July l5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 6/ [NYE/170E L- F: W/L/f/NSON l7 7' TOANE Y PM u... 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-"lcs SENSING MECHANISM FOR TABULATING MACHINES (Grantedundertheaot of March a, 188:, as

amended April 30. 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the. Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon,

in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (ch. 460, 43 Stat. L. 467).

The invention relates to a sensing mechanism for use in connection with a perforated record, as a card, such as is used in sorting machines,

tabulating machines and the like.

The perforated record in connection with which the mechanism is shown, is in the form of a card, and the term "card will be used throughout the following description, although it will be obvious that the mechanism may be emioyed, with suitable modifications, quite within the spirit of the invention, and adapted for use with other forms of perforated records.

The object of the invention is to relieve entirely or reduce to an inconsiderable minimum the burden heretofore borne by the portion of the card adjacent the hole or perforation therein, incident to the movement of the sensing device by said portion, as well as to similarly reduce 5 the stress of the said device upon other parts of the card as it is forcefully fed through the machine, thus adding greatly to the life of the record.

Heretofore mechanical sensing elements have been employed in connection with perforated records, such as perforated cards, wherein the portion of the card adjacent the edge of the hole in the rapidly moving card actuates the element against the tension of a rather strong spring.

The force required to be exerted by the card to expel the end of the sensing device from the hole has been very destructive to the card, rendering it after a comparatively few runs unfit for further accurate tabulation or for other purposes for which it was intended.

My invention contemplates the provision of a mechanism wherein the part that does the actual sensing will bear lightly on the card where there is no perforation or hole, and leave the hole with such gentleness after sensing it as to cause no appreciable injury to that portion of the card adjacent the hole, and in so doing in no way reduce or interfere with the application of such power as is necessary to effect sorting or other tabulating operations.

The construction and arrangement of the mechanism about to be described is such that there v is no appreciable stress on the card due to the sensing finger after a hole has been sensed. 65 Consequently should a hole be sensed very close to the entering edge of the card the action thereafter of the finger on the card is very light and is commensurate with the strength of a very light spring that is employed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, the 5 sensing mechanism is shown primarily applied to a sorting machine, that is to say, a machine for sorting the cards into groups" which represent particular data on the cards and depositing them in separate compartments ted to 1 receive them in group arrangement, wherein, when a hole is sensed, other mechanisms or elements are actuated that have various functions in the operation of the sorting machine.

The mechanism is shown also in connection 15 with a sorting machine wherein a circuit is closed to effect certain desirable operations in connection with machines of that character, the circuit being broken at proper moments by a suitable circuit breaker, one or any number of which may go be employed, a simple form being shown in Figure 14.

The mechanism is further shown in Figures 9 to 13 in its application to a tabulating machine wherein the movement of the sensing elements 5 effects, as in the former case, a closing of an electric circuit for performing any desiredfunction in such a machine, and also as in the former case, it will be noted that the circuit breaker may be the same as that shown in Figure 14. 30

Obviously, the condition first stated as to the injury of a card or record necessitates the repunching of the card with the additional expense entailed, to say nothing of the difliculties encountered and the time lost in attempting, as is 35 frequently done, to run cards or records whose perforations are so distorted as to defeat entirely the purpose for which they were intended. Then, too, it occurs that very old cards, that is cards that have dried out or become brittle, are 40 sought to be tabulated or run. In such cases it sometimes happens with the sensing element heretofore used that the pressure of the point of the sensing element cuts the card entirely through, usually starting from the hole. All of 45 these disadvantages I overcome in the mechanism about to be described, and which is 111mtrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a feed hopper of a sorting machine showing my improvedisensing device attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a transverse section about on line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the formation of the interior of the housing, and showing the pivoted finger of the sensing device in set or latched position or re-set" position.

Figure 3 shows the position the parts occupy when no card is present, and also when a card is present, and before the hole reaches the sensing finger,-the housing being removed.

Figure 4 is a view like Figure 3 showing the position of the sensing device when in the act of sensing a hole in the record.

Figure 5 is a view showing the pivoted finger of the sensing device, showing the position of the parts while a record card is running over the finger and after it has sensed a hole or perforation which has Just passed, and Just before the device is reset to the position shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the housing for the sensing device.

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation of a number of elements of a sorting machine mechanism including a no-card lever, cam, and cam lever, bail shaft and element upon which it operates-all merely shown for the purpose of more clearly understanding the operation of the subject-matter of this application.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the bail shaft and its bearings showing my improved sensing device thereon and also showing an addition to said shaft in the way of means for closing an electric circuit for actuating, through suitable and suitably positioned electric magnets (not shown) any desired part or parts of a sorting or other analogous machine employed in tabulating work.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are views showing the application of the sensing mechanism to a tabulating machine wherein its movement makes electrical contacts for energizing magnets whose energy is or may be utilized to effect any desired and useful tabulating mechanism function or operation near to or remote from the sensing device.

Figure 12 is a section through the vertical arm of the sensing device shown in Figure 9, showing the manner of insulating its contact point and showing its companion contact point adjacent thereto.

Figure 13 shows the position of the pivoted finger just as the perforation or hole in the card is leaving it.

Figure 14 is a view,more or less diagrammatic. of a circuit breaker that may be employed to break the circuit in those forms illustrated wherein there is employed an electrical contact.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figure 1, the numeral l designates the usual hopper in which the cards (in this form of perforated record) are stacked, and from which they are forcefully fed, one at a time, from the bottom of the stack by feed knives to the feed rollers which carry them over or under the sensing device, as the case may be, to effect, through a hole in the record, a required or desired operation of the machine, either electrical or mechanical.

The main body of the hopper comprises side panels 2 and 3 and a front plate I, there being connected to the latter, upright guide fingers 5 bolted to the plate near the panels. A central shorter guide 5 is provided, also bolted to the front plate. Secured to the side panels 2 and 3 is a cross-piece I having a channel I therein running for the full length of the cross-piece, and secured to the top of the cross-piece are three card rests 9, the center one of which is shown in Figure 2, which aid in supporting the cards in the hopper. The finger i is adjustable relative to the card rest 9 to form a contracted throat Ill through which the cards pass out of the hopper to be picked up by the feed rolls I0 and are fed over the sensing device or devices.

Bearings Ii and I! are provided on the crosspieoe l for the ends of a bail shaft I3, provided longitudinally with a bail or spline H which shaft when rocked in one direction under the influence of a spring, actuates certain devices of mechanisms in sorting machines now in use. One end of this shaft has adjustably secured thereto by a set-screw I! a trigger-operating head l5 that operates upon a trigger rod I5" (Fig. 7) which is one of the operative devices above intimated, when the bail shaft is permitted to be rocked at the time when a hole in a card is reached, there being a rather strong spring l6, secured to an arm ll, of the operating head, the other end of the spring being secured to the end of an arm ii, that can be raised or lowered in a slot H, by a screw 20, on the top of a box 2| secured to the plate I, for the purpose of varying the tension of the spring. The spring I6 tends always to rock the bail shaft and consequently its bail H in upward direction or to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5, and when so rocked operates the push or trigger rod l5", Figure '7. A rod 22 is suitably supported on the end panel 2; has a knob 23 on its upper end, and a sprocket 24 on its lower, over which runs a chain 25 passing over another sprocket wheel (not shown) at the other end of the hopper, by which mechanism the sensing device is shifted.

To the front of the cross-piece 1 is bolted a plate 26 having a long slot 21 therein in which slides and is guided the shiftable housing for the sensing device. This support and its contained sensing device is shiftable to any desired position across the hopper or to a position to sense any hole in any column of figures on the card.

A comb 23 is bolted to the plate 4 of the hopper (Figure 1) and is so shaped that its teeth 29 overhang the sensing device, the spaces between the teeth being in position to receive the end of the sensing device, when it rises to enter a hole in a card, there being a space between the teeth for every column of figures on the card.

The construction so far described in detail is no invention of mine, except in so far as certain of the elements defined, legitimately, and in a patent sense, may cooperate with the novel features of my invention, and in association with them, form new combinations.

Referring now, particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 6, the numeral 30 designates a housing which is formed with. a solid lower portion 3|, recessed as indicated at 32 for the reception of the flange of a short plate 33. Passing through registering apertures in the parts 3| and 33, is a headed and partially threaded bolt 34, whose inner end is secured to a block 35 suitably secured to opposite ends of the sprocket chain 25, so that the housing and its contained parts may be moved to any desired position across the hopper.

The upper rearwardly-extending part 36 of the housing is formed with a recess 3'! extending al most to its rear end. The rear portion of the kerfed or recessed part of the housing is shaped as indicated at 33 (Figure 6) to receive the bail shaft l3, and further, it is provided with a recess 33 to receive the bail H of the bail shaft, said recess being of such width as to permit the bail oi' the shaft to be rocked to an extent commensurate with. its required movements, Pivoted at inareoessll'in thearmli isasensingfinger 42, sufiiciently pointed at its upper end to enable it to smoothly enter and leave a hole in the card in the operation of the device. The finger is formed with a depending lower portion 48 to which is attached a very light spring 44 whose otherendissecuredtoapin atthe rearend of the housing, the spring tending to always keep the finger in upright position, or substantially at right angles to the arm I, in position to immediately enter a hole in the card or record when one becomes available, the movement .of the sensing finger 42 toward the'front of the :machine being limited by the upper edge of the arm ll, Figures 3-5, dotted lines. When the arm I is in substantially horizontal position or in the position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the depending. portion 43 of the finger is latched against the edge of a latch 40, which is made of spring steel, and in the form of a fiat spring and attached to the solid portion SI of the housing at 30.

Just beyond the plate 4 of the hopper are the feed rollers it, one or both of which may be driven, as the situation may require or make desirable, the rollers being mounted oil to the sides of the machine and in a position to in no way interfere with the operations that take place between them.

The description thus far has shown the applicability of my sensing mechanism to a known type of sorting mechanism wherein a bail shaft is employed, which when rocked, mechanically moves certain operative devices of the machine to efiect desired operations, proximate or remote.

' However, in the construction illustrated in Figure 8, a number of elements may be eliminated, such as the trigger operating head I! and associated parts, and instead, means for closing an electric circuit may be employed, such as an arm A, carrying a suitably insulated contact point B, positioned opposite a companion point C, so that when the bail shaft II is rocked upwardly, say by a spring such as it, the circuit will be closed to do electrically in the usual manner, anything that is required to be done, either near to or remote from the sensing device.

Necessarily, the construction and arrangement of the mechanism is somewhat changed when applied to a tabulating machine, which construction will now be described.

The feed rolls remain the same, but certain oi the mechanism of the hopper is eliminated,-

it being no longer necessary to shift the sensing device, since the sensing device in the case of a tabulating machine will be greatly-multiplied and arranged side by side on a suitable shaft in position to cooperate with suitably operated counters and other mechanism incident to tabulating machine operations.

Referring to Figure 9, it will be seen that the sensing device is made in the form of a bellcrank loosely pivoted upon a shaft 49 suitably supported at its ends and extending entirely across the machine.

, l 3 ll, while the other end is attached to the arm I! of the sensing device, the spring exerting a force to always keep the arm 50, and consequently the sensing finger Si, in raised position, one of the extreme of such positions being shown in Fi ure 10.

Extending across the machine and conveniently located relative to the sensing finger Ii is a cross bar 61 provided -at one edge with an anchor flange it to which is anchored one end of a very'light spring II, which other end is connected to the depending portion of the sensing finger. This spring, in function and operation, is in all respects like the spring 44 heretofore described. The other side of the cross bar 51 is provided with a long longitudinal flange 60 to take the place, in this application of the invention, of the latch 6 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The numeral 6| designates a cam which extends entirely across the machine and is appropriately formed, timed and positioned so as to operate upon the sensing device, the lower end of whose downwardly-extending arm 52 bears upon said cam, to latch the sensing finger 5i, and to permit it to become unlatched and to remain unlatched during appropriate periods in the cycle of the machine, as will be more fully described in connection with the description of the operation.

In Figure 14 a circuit breaker, shown in a more or less diagrammatic manner, may be employed to break such circuits as are indicated in connection with the contacts of circuit makers shown in modifications in Figures 8 and 9 to 12.

The numeral 68 designates the circuit breaker comprising a pivoted arm 69 provided with a contact point ll, arranged to make contact with a companion contact 12 on the end of a short insulated arm 13. The arm 69 is extended below its pivot for engagement with a cam 15 against which cam the arm is held by a spring 16.

From the arm 13 a conductor 18 runs to a source of electrical power such as a battery 19, from which runs another conductor to the contact, say 53 (Fig. 12) in arm 52 of the circuit maker. From the arm 69 of the circuit breaker is a lead 8| which may lead to any electrical device (such as a magnet) forming a part of a sorting or tabulating machine mechanism, there being a similar lead 8| leading to, say, contact 54' (Fig. 1

l2) The contacts 53 and 64' are like those indicated by B and C (Fig. 8).

The cam 15 may be on the same shaft as the cam 6i (Figs. 9, 10 and 11) or it may be on a separate shaft located on any part of the machine and driven from any suitable source of power. The cam I! is so shaped, positioned and timed as to make and break the circuits between the contacts ll and 12. The making of this circuit is at the very edge of the card, whereas the breaking of the circuit is between 0" and -1" on a card in common use, bearing the numerals from 9" to.0. However, the cam 6| only operates the arm 52 to release said arm and permit the sensing finger to rest on the under edge 01' the card in position to sense a hole, which when sensed, permits the spring 56 to close contacts 53 and 4 I and-also to reset'the sensing finger carrier after the card has left the sensing finger, which resetting is accomplished by contact of the high part of the cam 6i with the arm 82. If the sensing finger fails to sense a hole, the contacts I3 and 54' remain open. The period for which the circuit is held closed, and the moment when it will be broken will be determined by the exigency of the operations eiiected by the circuit, and the cams will be accordingly shaped and timed.

Operation when no cards are being run the usual "no card" lever 02 will be in the position shown in full lines (Fig. '7) and the arm I will have latched the cam lever BI and the outer end ll the lever will be on the high portion 6' oi the cam i1 and will remain on said portion until the no card lever is tripped in the usual way by the first oncoming card of the stack to be run. When the lever is tripped it will unlatch the cam lever N. and at this point the end 68 is about to drop on the high portion of the cam. The cam lever thereafter runs on the low portion of the cam and continues to do so during the time a card is running through the machine. The high part of the cam is for the purpose of resetting the sensing device and the low portion is for the purpose of permitting the sensing mechanism to bear on the card for the rest 01' its width. This operation is repeated as each card runs through the machine, or during each cycle, it being understood that the no card lever remains unlatched or in a card position (dotted lines Fig. 7) until the entire stack has been run when said lever is restored to no card position, when the last card passes.

As shown in Figure 3, the sensing finger is latched. It will remain latched until a hole in the card reaches it. When this happens the spring 16 will rock the bail shaft and bring the arm H to the position shown in Figure 4, unlatching the finger from the latch 48. Up to this point the latched finger has ridden on the under side of the card with a pressure commensurate with the strength 0! the spring II. However, after a hole is sensed and the finger unlatched, the pressure of the finger on the card will be only that exerted by the very light spring 44, as shown in Figure 5, since at this time the rockable arm ll has reached the limit of upward movement and can assert no pressure whatever on the card. Obviously, should the hole sensed be close to the edge of the card, say that representing the number "9 in the card column, the finger and associated parts will remain in the position shown in Figure 5 until the entire card is passed, in which position the only pressure exerted is that of the very light spring ll. When the card leaves the finger, the finger is instantly restored to upright or normal position by its spring. At this time cam 01 (Fig. 7) operates upon the trigger rod ll" through the cam lever 04 to reset the bail shatt ll through the operating head II. This movement of the bail shaft rocks the arm ll to the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the depending portion of the sensing finger is latched against the edge of the spring latch ll.

I claim:-

1. A record sensing mechanism oi the character described, including a movable arm, a spring for moving said arm in one direction toward a record being sensed, a sensing finger rockably mounted on said arm, a spring relatively weak as compared to the arm-actuating spring, for holding the sensing finger in upright position to engage the record and prevent movement oi said arm, and means moved by said arm when the sensing-finger moves into a record periora tion.

2. A record sensing mechanism of the character described, including a movable arm, a sensing finger rockably mounted on said arm, means for efiecting movement oi said arm when the sensing finger senses a hole in the record, means for latching said finger against movement when it bears against an imperforate section of the record prior to sensing a hole, means operating when a record has passed the finger for resetting said finger to operative position, and operative means moved by said arm when a hole in the record is sensed.

3. A record sensing mechanism oi the character described, including a movable arm, means for moving said arm to sensing position, a sensing finger rockably mounted on said arm and engaging a record to hold the arm against movement until a hole is sensed, means relatively weak as compared to the arm moving means for holding the sensing finger in position to sense a hole in a record, and means responsive to the movement oi said arm when said finger enters a hole for initiating further movement. 2

4. A record sensing mechanism of the character described, including a movable arm, a spring for moving said arm to sensing position, a sensing finger rockabiy mounted on said arm, a spring relatively weak as compared to the arm-actuating spring for holding the sensing finger in position to sense a hole in a record, and operative means moved by said arm when the sensing finger moves into a perforation.

LESTER F. WILKINSON. 

